I will be traveling to Texas in
the near future with my son who is a music lover, and he would be
interested in seeing some live music while in Austin. Does Austin
have a good music scene?

Austin is actually famous for
its music scene. On any given Friday night, your son can go out to
one of more than 100 venues to see great live music. Some
small venues include the Red Eyed Fly, if he's into local rock
and punk, and the Saxon Pub. If any larger musical act is in town,
you can be sure to catch them at Stubb's BBQ or the Backyard/Live
Oak Amphitheater.

I'm planning on coming to
Austin in the summer. How hot does it actually get down there?

Well, you're definitely coming
the hottest time of the year. The average highs in July and August
are in the mid-90s. It can even hit 100 occasionally.
The nights are a bit more comfortable with the lows around
the low 70s. Good luck, and I hope you catch a cold
spell.

I
was thinking about going to Austin's South by Southwest festival in March.
Can you tell me a bit about it?

South by Southwest is an annual
festival in Texas where many bands flock to try to get a record deal. For five days in March, these bands play all over Austin
while many fans, music lovers, and talent scouts enjoy the music.
There are three options as far as paying for admittance into the festival, the cheapest being a $115 wrist band. However,
the customers who purchased a Platinum Badge or a Music Badge,
which are more VIP, get into the packed clubs first. There are always many, many people there, so be sure to get there early and
have your night planned. You surely will not have to go far
for great music in SXSW, because many performers play right on
the street. I can say with experience that you will have an amazing
time at this festival.

Me and my buddies are coming to
Austin to drink and have a good time. Where are the best
bars?

You certainly won't go thirsty
in Austin. Austin has more bars per capita than any other in the US. You got Club DeVille, which has a huge outdoor patio and a
60s interior. There's the Dog and Duck pub, which is an
English style pub with a nice outdoor patio, to name two. Have fun
in Austin, it's a fun town!

I'm renting a car from Austin.
Are there any good day trips I can take from
there?

Yes, you can head into Hill
Country and spend a day in San Antonio, which is about an hour's drive away on I-35. You'll pass by peaceful little towns,
cactus-speckled cattle ranches, gently rolling hills and valleys,
and clear running rivers.